The air in the Hidden Peak Citadel was thick with a mixture of terror and anticipation. Following Ling Tian's command, the Citadel went into total lockdown. Hu Lie and his now Mid-Immortal Foundation mercenaries manned the walls, their hands clutching the special enhancement pills provided by their sect master. Lin Yue, the technical backbone of the operation, stood vigil at the central formation nexus, her eyes glued to the crystalline structure of the Nine-Cloud Defense Array.
They knew their master was attempting the impossible: a fundamental breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm (the true Immortal Stage) using a single, stolen, legendary herb, while simultaneously luring the vengeance of the entire Celestial Sword Syndicate. The fate of their entire fledgling Chaos Sect hinged on the success of Ling Tian's seclusion.
In the deep, reinforced chamber built directly above the Mid-Grade Immortal Vein, Ling Tian sat cross-legged, the Ghost Dragon Heartbloom resting on a slab of pure jade before him. The herb pulsed with a terrifying, primal vitality—energy far beyond its Tier-9 classification, earned through centuries of absorbing ancient spiritual energy from the wasteland.
Ling Tian spent two full hours settling his mind and purging the last vestiges of impurity from his Peak Golden Chaos Core. The core was perfect, but flawless perfection was not enough for the Absolute Immortal Lineage. It demanded supreme elevation.
"The Golden Core is the child," Ling Tian murmured, his voice echoing softly in the chamber. "The Nascent Soul is the sovereign. This transition must tolerate no external laws, only the law of Primordial Chaos."
He retrieved the Ghost Dragon Heartbloom. The moment his fingers touched its violet, pulsating core, a fierce, destructive power erupted, instantly shattering the jade slab beneath it. The potent energy was meant to slowly infuse into the Dantian, guiding the soul-forging process. Ling Tian did not want slow infusion.
He consumed the entire herb in one swift, decisive motion.
ROOARR!
The energy exploded within Ling Tian's Dantian. It wasn't the warm, guiding Qi of a normal breakthrough pill; it was raw, ancient, and violently resisted the purity of the Perfect Golden Chaos Core. The clash of two supreme energies—the ultimate vitality of the Ghost Dragon Heartbloom and the absolute purity of Primordial Chaos—was cataclysmic.
Outside the Citadel, the effect was immediate and dramatic. The Mid-Grade Immortal Vein, which had sustained the Citadel for decades, suddenly screamed. The surrounding earth trembled as the vein, unable to cope with the demand of Ling Tian's consumption, began to rapidly dry up, all its energy being violently sucked toward the seclusion chamber. A monstrous, violet-gold pillar of energy erupted from the Citadel, tearing into the sky, visible for hundreds of miles—a beacon announcing a major cultivation event.
Inside the Dantian, the Peak Golden Chaos Core began to melt. This was the most dangerous phase: the solid foundation had to dissolve into a spiritual ocean (the Soul Sea), from which the true spiritual entity—the Nascent Soul—would be forged.
However, Ling Tian's breakthrough was not standard. The immense, untamed life-force of the Ghost Dragon Heartbloom was threatening to stabilize his Soul Sea too quickly, forcing a standard, albeit flawless, Nascent Soul.
Unacceptable!
Ling Tian's consciousness, guided by the memories of the Star Emperor, fought back with brutal force. He channeled the deepest, most corrosive aspect of the Primordial Chaos essence, using it not just to dissolve the Core, but to devour the Ghost Dragon Heartbloom's raw life-force, forcing it into a completely new configuration.
The Dantian became a raging hellscape. The spiritual ocean roared, cycling through colors of destructive violet, corruptive black, and purifying gold. His meridians felt like they were being torn apart and rebuilt with every cycle.
The First Internal Tribulation: The Dao Heart Test
In the midst of the chaos, a spiritual projection of the Star Emperor appeared before Ling Tian's consciousness—a self-imposed test written into the Absolute Immortal Lineage.
"You seek absolute supremacy," the spectral Emperor's voice boomed, "but supremacy requires the sacrifice of the Dao. To attain the Primordial Chaos Soul, you must abandon all ties to the lower realms, all mercy, all compassion. Embrace pure, necessary destruction. Can you shed the last vestiges of humanity and become the indifferent sovereign?"
This was the true danger of the Primordial Chaos breakthrough: the temptation to become a heartless, destructive force, severing all spiritual connection to the world. A lesser cultivator would submit to the Emperor's will, becoming a powerful but spiritually cold puppet.
Ling Tian, despite his crushing arrogance, was not purely evil. He was pragmatic.
"Compassion is weakness only when it is unearned," Ling Tian's consciousness retorted, his will unyielding. "I discard fear, not efficiency. My supremacy will be built on the strength of my own will, not the indifference of the Dao. I will forge a Soul that commands Chaos, not one that is subservient to it."
With that resolute thought, Ling Tian rejected the Emperor's final spiritual test. The spectral image shattered, validating his path.
The Second Internal Tribulation: The Miniature Void
Having passed the Dao Heart test, the spiritual ocean began to condense. The Primordial Chaos essence, now mixed with the hyper-refined life-force of the Ghost Dragon Heartbloom, compressed inward with terrifying force.
It compressed until it formed a singular point of near-zero volume—a miniature black hole, a Miniature Void—inside his spiritual ocean. This Void was the core structure of the Primordial Chaos Nascent Soul. It represented absolute control over destruction and rebirth.
This compression was excruciating. Ling Tian's physical body trembled violently, his bones screaming under the internal pressure.
If he failed to maintain control for a single second, the Miniature Void would destabilize, vaporizing his Dantian and killing him instantly.
He maintained his will, pouring every shred of his conscious energy into stabilizing the terrifying singularity.
Outside the Citadel, the colossal energy pillar was a perfect advertisement.
"Master, the power surge is attracting attention! Three squadrons of the Celestial Sword Syndicate scouts are approaching our location!" Lin Yue shrieked, fighting to keep the failing Nine-Cloud Defense Array stable.
The Syndicate scouts—all Late Nascent Soul Realm experts—were cautious but professional. They immediately identified the energy signature as a major breakthrough attempt.
"Stop the breakthrough! It is too powerful!" ordered the scout leader, Captain Wei.
The three squadrons unleashed synchronized Sword Qi Vipers—sharp, corrosive attacks aimed at destabilizing the energy pillar and, consequently, killing Ling Tian.
Hu Lie, pale but resolute, commanded his Bladefang Corps. "Activate the pill effects! Launch the Formation Overload Pills at the base of the Citadel!"
The mercenaries swallowed their specialized pills and, in a coordinated effort guided by Lin Yue, threw the Formation Overload Pills into the environment near the incoming Syndicate forces.
The Pills exploded, not with force, but with massive, localized spiritual static.
ZZZZZT!
The Sword Qi Vipers, relying on perfectly calibrated Qi flow, instantly destabilized and dispersed in the face of the chaotic energy. The Syndicate scouts were thrown into temporary disarray, their powerful techniques failing inexplicably.
"Chaos Energy! It's the thief from the Wasteland!" Captain Wei roared, realizing the terrifying implication. "Do not engage! Retreat and inform Lord Shen that the thief is forging a power beyond our comprehension!"
The Syndicate scouts quickly disengaged, their mission shifting from probe to urgent intelligence gathering. They left behind three severely demoralized, poisoned bodies—casualties of the Chaos Sect's defensive tactics.
In the heart of the Citadel, Ling Tian felt the external pressure vanish. The brief, chaotic battle had bought him the time he desperately needed.
He initiated the final stage. The Miniature Void inside his spiritual ocean stabilized completely. It began to spin, drawing in the remaining refined essence and spiritual knowledge of the Ghost Dragon Heartbloom and the crushed Spirit Severing essence.
The Void did not simply remain a point; it solidified, reforming into a miniature humanoid figure—a baby-sized spiritual Avatar. This was the Primordial Chaos Nascent Soul.
It was not golden, nor was it crystal. It shimmered with a profound, terrifying violet-gold aura, completely cloaked in Primordial Chaos essence. It was perfect, flawless, and infinitely superior to any Nascent Soul forged through standard Immortal Qi.
Ling Tian had achieved a Tier-10 breakthrough—a feat of legendary proportions that defied the laws of the Nine Immortal Realms.
The moment the Nascent Soul formed, Ling Tian's cultivation level stabilized at the Early Nascent Soul Realm. But his true strength was far beyond that. The purity of his soul and Qi allowed him to command the techniques of the Mid-to-Late Spirit Severing Realm.
He was no longer a Golden Core masquerading as an Immortal; he was a true Immortal Stage sovereign, already capable of suppressing the weaker powers of the upper realms.
The chaotic pillar of energy outside the Citadel immediately vanished, sucked entirely into Ling Tian's body. The Mid-Grade Immortal Vein, utterly drained, fell silent, its lifespan reduced to a few precious years of output.
Ling Tian opened his eyes. They glowed with an absolute, terrifying violet light, filled with the knowledge of his ascended stage. He felt the terrifying control over the surrounding space, the subtle understanding of world laws, and the chilling power to annihilate with a mere thought.
The Nascent Soul is complete, Ling Tian thought, standing up. The Celestial Sword Syndicate came to me. Now, I shall go to them.
He was ready for war. The game had just begun.